Trudeau said that the PTO currently has $26k in funds, but that some of that money does need to be allocated to the PTO’s current annual projects. They are seeking grant money and public fundraising but she was there to request that the school board contribute Capital Outlay dollars to the project.
Board President Shannon Nordstrom said that the board would take it under advisement, and complemented the PTO on their hard work and planning.
“This sounds really cool, and thank you for everything the PTO does for our students,” he said.
The board then started on their regular business, voting to pay the school’s current bills, and approve the financial reports, receipts and expenditures.
There was no old business, and no conflicts of interest to declare. The board formally recognized the week of Nov. 18th as American Education Week, and thanked every member of the staff of Garretson School for the work that they do to make the school successful.
The board then discussed and ultimately approved a contract with CO OP Architecture for $22,500 for the development of architectural plans, details and management of the bit process for the roof replacement project, which will replace 35k square feet of the school’s roof by the end of the fiscal year. The chiller replacement will be planned for the start of the next fiscal year. Both projects will be done in summer while school is out, and Supt. Guy Johnson emphasized that this will allow the school to get both of these large and expensive tasks done without having to seek a bond for either project. The roof will have a warranty guaranteed for a decade.
The board had several items of discussion about the upcoming delegate assembly for the Associated School Boards of South Dakota. Nordstrom was delegated to represent the Garretson School on Nov. 15.
The board then had several readings of potential policy revisions. These included the superintendent’s evaluation, job descriptions for the principal, administrative assistants, business managers, superintendent, athletic director, study hall supervisor and MS/HS attendance coordinator.
The board passed the revised Public Participation in Board Meetings policy and the modification to the tech administrator job description.
Moving on to administration reports, HS Principal Chris Long reported on the ACT scores. Last year had a smaller graduating class and fewer students took the ACT exam, which is why our numbers have taken a dip.
Elementary Principal Teresa Hulscher reported a 97% attendance rate for PT conferences in the Elementary. Principal Long’s numbers were lower in middle school and high school, but that parents have been contacted with phone and email, even when they choose not to attend the PT conferences.
Supt. Johnson then reported on the HVAC system, including details on the bid process and what the schedule would look like after the roofing project is successfully concluded. He gave a recap of the Veterans’ Day program, overview of the staff book study participation and a summary of the Garretson fall sports programs and the successes they had, the best soccer season to date and a playoff spot for the football team now that GHS is playing 11-man ball again. He noted also success in the marching band with several 1st and 2nd place contest wins and that the district sent 8 students to all- state chorus and did very well.
Last they discussed the Prairie Lakes Co-op, and board member Ruth Sarar and Supt. Johnson reported that significant changes in how the Federal Perkins grants are to be applied will force the co- op to make some choices and decision as to how the program will be managed by the co-op in the future. They will keep the board up to date as this situation changes.
The board then went into executive session to discuss a student issue at 7:44 and came out at 8:15 to adjourn.
